Mother shuns son's funeral

Mourners in Hamilton (right) farewell Dr Hans Edge (left), who was killed in a cycling accident in Pakuranga last week. Photos / Supplied, Christine Cornege

The mother of a top academic who was killed while cycling in Pakuranga refused to go to her son's funeral after a bitter falling-out with his widow, who wanted his body cremated.

Heide Muller of Palmerston North told the Weekend Herald that cremation went against her beliefs as a German Jew.

She did not attend the funeral service in Hamilton on Thursday for 36-year-old Johann "Hans" Edge after her attempts to prevent his cremation failed.

Dr Edge, a sports and exercise academic at the University of Auckland, was killed when his bicycle hit the rear passenger side of a car as he rode down a hill on Pakuranga Rd last week.

Ms Muller said her attempts to get involved with his funeral arrangements had been a "very bad disaster".

"They never asked me once if there was something that I'd like to contribute. It was completely taken away.

"It's really sad because it has really divided two families ... It's brought up another ethnic fight. It's not just Maori having these things."

Ms Muller, who is planning a memorial service for her son in Pahiatua this month, said newly married couples should strongly consider having wills written to avoid similar fallouts when death occurs.

"You could be best friends. I only saw Emma a few weeks ago and we've always got on well, and then just like that it all changes," she said.

"It's because our beliefs are different."

About 300 people packed into the Salvation Army Citadel in Hamilton for Dr Edge's funeral.

Younger sister Nicky Edge spoke of how she idolised her brother and began following him as soon as she could walk.

She said that in 1989, he thought he would give music video direction a go and organised his sisters with tennis rackets as guitars for their rendition of Simon and Garfunkel's song Cecilia.

Jayden Edge said his brother was a simple man who loved nature, in particular the beach, where the pair would often surf together.

"He knew how to enjoy every moment in life.

"By the way he would describe his surroundings, he could make everything sound so good," Mr Edge said.

Dr Edge's colleagues from universities in Australia, Palmerston North and Auckland spoke of his infectious humour, his love of sport and the transtasman office cricket challenges played with a wooden spatula.

Professor Greg Anson, head of Auckland University's department of sport and exercise science, said the Marsden Fund research grant that Dr Edge won last year was prestigious. Just one in 10 applications for such a grant was successful.

He said Dr Edge's talents were well recognised through more than 20 scholarly publications and appointments to editorial boards of scholarly journals.

Dr Edge is survived by his wife, Emma, and children Madison, 7, Jacob, 3, and Bella, 5 months.

Meanwhile, police say it could be two months before a decision is made on whether any charges will be laid against the 42-year-old car driver involved in Dr Edge's accident.